1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dispenser for an automatic washer and more particularly to a centrifugal dispenser automatically operable upon a high speed spin operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Centrifugal dispensers are known in the art and generally employ a cup-like structure which holds an additive during the washing and rinsing steps of an automatic washing program and which dispenses the additive during the spin portion when the additive is forced outwardly and upwardly along the walls of the cup structure into an area where it is released into the wash basket at the end of the spin cycle. Generally, these dispensers are attached to the top of the agitator by bolting them onto the agitator. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,741 discloses a centrifugal dispenser which is secured to the top of the agitator by a nut and a plurality of tabs which snap over a shelf on the agitator. To remove the dispenser, which is often times desirable, would be very inconvenient with the dispenser disclosed in that patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,444 discloses a centrifugal rinse aid dispenser for use in an automatic washer in which the agitator reciprocates vertically during agitation. The dispenser locks to the agitator by means of a plurality of springs which cooperate with lugs on the agitator barrel. A screwing and unscrewing motion of the dispenser relative to the agitator effects a connection for holding the dispenser on the agitator. Such a attachment arrangement is not useful in an agitator which oscillates rather than reciprocates.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,054 discloses a two-part centrifugal rinse aid dispenser in which the inner, cup portion of the dispenser is secured to the top of the agitator by means of a stud and the outer portion of the dispenser snap-fits over the cup portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,957 discloses a centrifugal rinse aid dispenser which sits on top of the agitator and is retained in place by frictional engagement between inwardly projecting ribs on the dispenser and the upper portion of the agitator. While such an attachment means is sufficient to hold the dispenser on an automatic washer which operates for instance at an agitate rate of 68 strokes per minute and a spin rate of about 500 R.P.M., a new generation of washers is being produced which agitate at a rate of 180 strokes per minute and which spin at approximately 640 R.P.M. It has been found that the retaining means disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,957 is not satisfactory for these high spin speed/high stroke rate machines because the dispenser can become dislodged from the agitator during operation of the machine.